Haunted Truth
by chocolateverries
Summary: What does a police officer, a hacker, an ex-assassin, and a lawyer have in common? A tragic memory haunted by the only person who knows the truth.
1. Chapter 1

What does a police officer, a hacker, an ex-assassin, and a lawyer have in common?  
A tragic memory haunted by the only person who knows the truth.

*************************************  
Julianna Callaghan  
Age: 26  
Occupation: Police officer

Beep, Beep, Beep

Almost as soon as the irritating sound began, it ended and Jules decide it was okay to succumb to peaceful sleep for just ten more minutes. That is, until last nights activities crashed over her like a bucket of cold water. She had slept with her teammate and co-worker Sam Braddock, Team One's newest recruit straight out off JTF2. In other words, she was fraternizing.

Tentatively, she opened her eyes and, sure enough, she was met with a pair of piercing blue eyes. His voice, raspy from sleep, sent a shiver coursing through her body. _How could something so wrong feel so right?_

"Morning, Jules." He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

She smiled shyly in response, feeling self-conscious. That in itself was unsettling. Julianna Callaghan was hardworking, independent, stubborn, and all around strong. She did _not_ become goo in the presence of men (or more specifically, Sam) or worry about chipping a nail or applying a gallon of make-up. She was in the Strategic Response Unit for crying out loud.

Yet she couldn't deny the odd feeling in her stomach or the flutter in her heart.

But she could ignore them. And she did.

She propped herself up on one elbow. "Morning." She breathed out, her eyes scanning his toned body, half-covered by her bed sheets. "We, um, should get going. We need to be at HQ in 30."

Sam, on the other hand, let his eyes wander as he drank in the beauty before him. Jules was naturally gorgeous. Brown curls, olive skin as soft as silk, toned body, the perfect mix between feminine and strong. His heart fluttered as he thought about how he could wake up like this, with her by his side, everyday of his life and it still wouldn't be enough. His twinkling eyes rose to meet her hazel ones. "We should."

They both didn't move for awhile. The warmth and comfort too enticing.

With a sigh, Jules rose first, careful to keep a cover on her bare body. "I'll take a shower first, then you - and make it quick," she punctuated this with narrowed eyes meant to be intimidating but that he seemed to find adorable, "and then I'll make breakfast, we eat, and get outta here in record time!"

He chuckled, "Sounds like a plan."

She threw him a smile and a snarky response over her shoulder before closing the bathroom door shut behind her.

"I always have a plan, Soldier."

***  
As soon as Jules entered her locker room at HQ she knew something was wrong. Sinking dread filled her stomach and goosebumps racked her body. Her posture stilled as her sharp senses, acquired by years of training, scanned the room to find the source of discomfort.

A single black envelope taped to the mirror.

Drawing her sidearm, she quickly cleared the locker room. Nothing out of place. _Except for the envelope, of course._

Holstering her gun, she carefully approached the elongated vanity across the front of the room and took the envelope. It was simply black. No name. No sender. She knew it was for her because she was the only female in the SRU and therefore the only one who entered this locker room. Except for the janitor, but she highly doubts it's for the elderly man who cleans the locker rooms weekly.

Carefully removing the tape, she turned it over and opened the flap. A single white piece of paper rested inside. The dread returned as her fingers reached inside and pulled it out. It intensified once she read the typed words.

"We are more willing to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge is a pleasure."

Meghan Damien  
Age: 25  
Occupation: Hacker

Meghan never thought she would see this day. Although, it was unavoidable really, but she was, after all, an optimist. And she's good, like really good, at what she does. Not that she's full of herself either.

"Ms. Damien, according to the law I must sentence you to, more or less, five years in prison. However, you're abilities are valuable to the government and it would be in our and your favor to strike a deal." The older man who had introduced himself as Agent Quentin informed her, tone neutral, eyes intense, daring her to decline.

Meghan's right eyebrow raised skeptically. "So if I work for the government, I don't go to jail?" Agent Quentin nodded. "Wow then okay." She smiled, but then her expression turned contemplative. "Will I always be in handcuffs? My hands hurt. I don't like handcuffs. And I need to work and I obviously can't do it in these. Unless I was a prostitute." Her eyes widen as her words caught up to her. "But I'm not. I wasn't offering either. I just have a tendency to babble when I'm nervous. And I'm nervous. I've never been arrested before. And I will stop in... three... two...one."

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she looked up to a stunned Agent, obviously not expecting a thing she said. That's usually the reaction she receives.

Agent Quentin shook his head to clear his thoughts. This girl was something else. Quickly regaining his thoughts, and control of the situation, he leveled her with a look. "The government's demands are these: A field Agent, one of our best, will be assigned to teach you the ways of the FBI and make sure you do nothing illegal or try to escape while under our watch. Understood?"

"Very." She nodded for emphasis, then slightly tilted her head. "Can you take off the handcuffs now?"

Agent Quentin responded by getting up and around the table before retrieving his keys from his pockets and unlocking the cuffs.

At that moment a well-built man with sandy blond hair and stubble walked in, his presence demanding attention. "You called Quentin?"

"Jonas." The older man acknowledge gruffly. "This is your assignment." He motioned towards the blond, who huffed at being called an 'assignment'. "Meghan Damien, this is SSA Oliver Jonas."

Meghan gaped. "I know who he is." Jonas and Quentin raised an eyebrow at her. "No, I don't know know him, but I've seen him all over the news." She corrected. "It's very nice to meet you Mr. Jonas."

"Please, Mr. Jonas was my father. Call me Oliver." His smile was charming, but Meghan could see it was fake, forced.

"But he's dead." She flinched. "I mean murdered." Her eyes widened in horror. "But you're not. Which means you can hear me babble...again. Which will end...now." She took a deep breath, bracing herself to see his expression. He probably hates her for bringing up his past like that.

Tentatively, she looked up. She was met with an unexpected emotion. Not angry, annoyed or mocking. He looked amused. The good way. He actually smiled. Well, a half-smile. But it was genuine. And beautiful.

Their eyes locked. Intense blue on gentle blue.

A clearing of the throat brought her back to reality. _What the hell was she doing making googly eyes to a government agent? She was a criminal - okay, ugly word - a hacker for crying out loud! In her defense, it's his fault for being that good looking. She's pretty sure it's illegal to be that good looking._

"It isn't. But thank you, I guess."

Eyes wide as saucers, she squeaked, "I said that out loud didn't I?"

He nodded, his eyes twinkling with mirth and a smirk grazing his features.

She flushed the color of her shirt. Bright. Red.

"Come on, let me take you to your office." Exiting the interrogation room, he motioned for her to follow.

That's when she realized at one point Agent Quentin had left the interrogation room. Relief and dread flooded though her. Relief because he hadn't been there to witness her making a complete fool of herself. Dread because she was alone with the illegally hot agent.

Groaning, she followed him, starting a new, and hopefully exciting, chapter of her life.

As soon as she saw the glass walls, and therefore the office inside, she was captivated. The office had a curving desk at the right side center, state-of-the-art computers along its surface. To the left, were plush looking couches - one on the back wall and the other on the left one - and a center table completing the set. Along the right wall of the left side there was a large mahogany bookshelf, waiting to be filled. Her favorite part, however, was the mini fridge and coffee maker at one corner. She was speechless. A first for Meghan.

"I'm taking you like it." Oliver's deep voice broke her reverie.

"Yes! I love it!" She almost squealed. Almost.

He chuckled. "I guess I'll let you set up. I'll be back in an hour." He paused on his way out. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Meghan."

She blushed a light shade of pink. "Nice to meet you too, Oliver." She gave a little wave as he left. Leaving her to her brand-new government issued office!

Taking one last appreciative look around, Meghan made her way to the desk, taking a seat on the light brown office chair. Setting her purse down, she reached in for her tablet and its connections. Expertly plugging it into the monitor, she turned on the system. The hum as the computers turned on made her smile in satisfaction. That is, until every screen turned black and bold, blood red words flashed across them.

"Confession is always weakness; the grave soul keeps its own secrets, and takes its own punishment in silence."*


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I forgot the disclaimer at the beginning of the last chapter, so here goes: I don't own flashpoint or anything really except for the plot :) Thank you for reading and don't forget to review.

Sara O'Connor  
Age: 27  
Occupation: Ex-assassin

Muscles taut, Sara threw a strong opened-palm blow at her opponent. It landed on his chest, effectively ending the fight. The young man fell backward with a resounding thud.

Sara wiped the sweat pouring from her brow before extending her right hand to help up her student. "Good fight, but remember start strong..."

"End strong." The boy nodded, packing his duffel bag and wrapping a towel around his shoulders."Alright, goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yup. Bye!"

As her last student of the day left the boxing gym, Sara closed up for the night.

Duffel bag hanging from one shoulder, she began the short walk home. About 3 miles.

Exactly one year ago she had settled down in North York and began training others in the martial arts at the boxing gym close to home, The Red Dragon. A year and a half ago she had completed her last job. At least she was using her skills for good now. That's what she constantly told herself. But then she remembered they were the skills of a killer. A murderer. An assassin. _What would her students think of her? Her kind neighbors with their families? If they knew who she was?_

Shaking her head, she stopped that train of thought. She had a second chance now and she wasn't going to waste it. Some light had broken through the dark.

Unlocking the door to her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her duffel. Immediately she felt something was wrong. Flicking on the lights, she scanned the small living room. Someone had been in here. (She made a mental note to switch her locks.) Reaching for the butterfly knife she always kept in her bra (a reminder and consequence of her old life), she stepped forward and checked her home. Nothing.

Still uncertain, she double checked her locks and windows before plopping down on the couch. That's when she saw the black envelope.

Her first instinct was to rip it up but then it might have a clue as to who broke into her apartment. Opening it, she read the typed note inside.

"No matter how fast light travels, darkness is always faster, and is waiting for it."

The hell?

************************************  
Laura Lance  
Age: 28  
Occupation: Lawyer

Huffing another sigh, Laura closed the manila folder on her desk. Thank the heavens that, if all went well, she would close the case tomorrow morning. Speaking of which, she needed her rest for said trial. It was an open and close case. Worker hurt on the job suing company that refuses to pay up. Easy.

Manicured fingers reached for her purse and keys as she rose from her desk. Clicking off the lights, she stepped out and locked her office.

Walking through the mostly isolated building, she wondered why it was so empty. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was 10PM on a Friday. Well that explains it. Some people are not as ambitious or dedicated as her and decide to spend their Friday nights wasting their time. She is more than willing to exchange a couple of weekends and friendships in order to get to the top, the very top.

Exiting the building, she searched for her silver Mercedes Benz. Spotting it, she made a quick walk and reached for her keys. That's when she felt it. Pulling out the black envelope, she stared at it dumbfounded.

Who the hell gad dared put something in her purse? Gone in her office without permission? The building management was definitely receiving a complaint from her in the morning.

Shaking her head at the rudeness of people, she ripped open the envelope. The small white paper read...

"A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker than a germ."

***********************************  
Callaghan

On autopilot, Jules changed out of her civilian clothes and into her uniform. She brushed her hair into a ponytail and put her purse in the locker, locking it this time. Taking out her cell, she dialed a number she hadn't called in 5 years.

The woman on the other side answered on the first ring. "Jules?"

"Meghan." She sighed, a mixture of relief and joy seeping in.

"You got one too." It wasn't a question.

"Yep." She answered anyway.

"She did warn us about her revenge." Meghan let out a nervous laugh. "Guess this shouldn't surprise us. But I was still hoping forgive and forget, ya know? Considering she's, um, dead, I figured she couldn't torture us anymore. But I guess we were, um -"

"Meghan! Breathe." Jules couldn't help the upturn of her mouth. She missed her babbles.

"Right. Okay." She took a dramatic breath in and out.

"I'm gonna call Sara. You get Laura." She paused. "We'll meet at my place. Tonight."

"K, leave poor me to call up Conceited Laura. Fine." There was a playful tone to her voice. Then, a pause. "I miss you. See you tonight."

"Bye." With that the two girls ended the call.

She was in the process of dialing Sara when a knock at her locker room door interrupted her. She tensed.

"Jules! Jules? Ya coming anytime soon?"

Frustrated at her reaction, she immediately relaxed at hearing Lew's voice. She pocketed her cell and decided to call later.

Opening the door, she teased. "Can't live a couple minutes without me, Lew?"

Lew chuckled. "Couldn't imagine it. But in my defense its been 20. Team's already in the briefing room."

"Awesome." She retorted sarcastically, quickening her pace.

Upon entering the briefing room, all eyes were on her. She was 10 minutes late. It had never happened before.

"Nice of you to join us, Constable." Ed smirked. "Done braiding your hair?"

She rolled her eyes and took a seat beside Spike, across from Sam. "Sorry, I was making a personal call." The apology was directed at Sarge, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Was it Scott?" Spike grinned, completely missing Sam's glare.

She shook her head in amusement, but was saved from answering by Greg.

"Guys, leave the girl alone. We have a quiet day ahead of us." He paused, a grin on his face. "You all can drill her with questions later."

Jules huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest indignantly while the guys laughed at her reaction.

The opportunity to call Sara came while patrolling with Sam. Clicking off her comm link, she dialed the number.

Sam threw her a questioning look. "Everything okay?"

"I, um, just need to call a friend."

"Okay."

She smiled her thanks and held her cell to her ear, holding her breath. It rang twice before the woman on the other end answered.

"Hello?"

"Sara? It's Jules." She let out the breath she had been holding in.

"Jules! Hey, what's up?" A pause. "Not that I'm complaining but why are you calling?"

Jules sighed. "Did you get a note?"

Silence. Until, "How did you know?"

"I got one too." Sigh. "Sara, I think Mel is back."

"Jules, Melissa is dead!" The blond on the other end sounded frustrated. "We've talked about this!"

Jules lowered her voice, chancing a look at Sam, who looked equally concerned and confused at having heard her side of the conversation. "Take a plane. We're meeting at my house tonight. We'll talk then."

Not waiting for an answer, Jules hung up.

"So, I guess I wont be accompanying you home tonight?"

Jules quickly turned to Sam, glare firmly in place, hand motioning towards the comm.

"Relax, I turned it off once your creepy conversation started." He paused, concern showing on his face. "Everything okay? You sounded edgy."

"Yeah, everything's good." She smirked, changing the topic. "I'm sorry about tonight, Soldier. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

Sam grinned and reached over with one hand to rub her thigh. "I'll be looking forward to it."

In an unspoken agreement, they simultaneously turned on their radios, ending their personal conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jules's House, 10pm**

"First order of business," Jules began, "what is _that_?"

Jules, Laura, and Sara all turned to Meghan, or more specifically, the object at her ankle.

Meghan blushed slightly in embarrassment. "It's an ankle bracelet."

"Yeah. We know. But _why_?" Jules raised an eyebrow. She tried to stop her mind from coming up with worse case scenarios. But it wasn't working.

"Oh. _That._ " The blond shifted slightly. "I got arrested for hacking and now I'm a government pet." She shrugged. "It beats jail. I wouldn't last a day there. Just imagine not having wi-fi for about 5 years and then you-"

"Arrested?" Sara questioned, shocked. "You got caught?"

"Says the _assassin_." Meghan countered.

"Who never got caught."

"Guys, that's enough!" Jules sighed, rubbing her temple. "I get you're all upset but-"

"This is crazy," Laura muttered, "I don't even get why were here."

"Oh, I think I should add there's a government agent parked across the street keeping an eye on me, but he has no eyes or ears in the conversation," Meghan chuckled nervously, "just FYI."

Three pairs of eyes went wide as saucers. "What exactly did you do?"

Meghan shrugged. "Long story." It was obvious she wouldn't say more so the girls wisely decided to drop it.

Jules shook her head to clear her mind. "Ok we're here," she shot Laura a look, "because we've all received a message from Melissa," she shot Sara a pointed look, "who's missing, not dead."

"She's dead, Jules! They didn't find a body but I'm sure she couldn't have survived." Sara closed her eyes shut, feeling memories crash into her. _Blood. So much blood._

"Well then explain the messages."

"Could be a random stalker." Laura shrugged.

"Well, said stalker sure was able to find where you all live faster than I." Jules muttered. "How did you all get here so fast anyway?" She eye them curiously. True, she said to meet tonight but it was out of desperation to tell someone what had been going on. She hadn't expected them to get here in _hours._

Sara shrugged. "I don't live far. North York."

"Ottawa." Laura.

"Michigan. Near Port Huron." Meghan.

Confusion fell over all of them. Jules broke the ice...again.

She glanced at Sara. "I thought you were in Russia." Turned toward Meghan, "And you in California." And then to Laura. "You said you were in Europe. And you all said to not contact you except for emergency."

"Who the hell told you that?" Sara exclaimed. "I haven't heard from you in 5 years! Until today that is. I received an email saying you went to somewhere in South America." She shrugged. "Figured you wanted to get away from us."

Jules turned to Sara. "I wouldn't run away." She looked thoughtful. "I never sent an email to any of you though. But I did receive some from all of you explaining your fake locations."

Meghan groaned. "They were all fake? And I call myself the computer magician!" She looked regretful. "We could have settled our problems a long time ago."

"So someone was trying to keep us all apart?" Laura asked. "Why? It's not like we're best friends." She laughed with no humor. "We're barely even friends."

"Good question. But I still think it's Melissa." Jules said, standing her ground.

"Crazy missing chick? Must be." Retorted Sara sarcastically.

"I agree with Jules." Meghan piped up. "She did warn us before she di- I mean, went missing."

Laura shrugged. "I honestly don't care about any of this. Either Melissa or the fake emails. I have bigger problems."

Jules felt the frustration building up in the room. She contacted them because she felt this was an emergency. _But was it? Was she just paranoid? Overactive senses?_

"Fine. I'm sorry for the false alarm. I won't contact you all ever again."

Laura nodded curtly and began heading towards the door. Sara behind her. Meghan looked torn.

"Wait!" They all turned to face Jules. "Can I at least have the messages?"

Sara and Laura reached into their pockets and pulled out black envelopes. They handed them to her before exiting the door.

"I um didn't get an envelope. I got a message on my computer screen. I took a picture and printed it. Here." She paused. "You were always so nice and defended me. Thanks. I miss that. And I do believe you." She sighed. "But I can't stick around. Government pet and all." She hesitated. "And you can contact me. If you need a sounding board or something."

Jules nodded gratefully. "Thank you. And there's no need to thank me." She looked down so Meghan wouldn't see the guilt in her eyes.

Meghan smiled and left, leaving Jules alone with four messages and an impending sense of doom.

**********  
" _We are more willing to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge is a pleasure._  
 _Confession is always weakness; the grave soul keeps its own secrets, and takes its own punishment in silence._  
 _No matter how fast light travels, darkness is always faster, and is waiting for it._  
 _A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker than a germ."_

Even after reading them for what seemed like the hundredth time, Jules couldn't find a connection between the four quotes. Yes, they all seemed dark somehow, but weren't exactly death threats.

The first one was by Tacitus, the second by Dorothea Dix, the third by Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds, and the last by John Steinbeck. Still, no connection.

Taking another sip of coffee, she decided to read them over again. This time trying to make a connection to the person who received them.

She reread hers.

 _"Thank you." The sincerity in Meghan's eyes were palpable. Clutching her notebooks to her chest, she brought up a hand to push up her glasses. "That meant alot."_

 _Jules shifted uncomfortably and shrugged. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a familiar voice._

 _"For what?" Melissa raised a manicured eyebrow._

 _Jules shrugged. "Nick was picking on her. I scared him away. No big deal."_

 _Melissa looked Meghan up and down. She was brunette and had blue eyes behind huge framed glasses. She was about Jules's height, but a bit too thin. She was pretty but nerdy. "Meghan Damien?" Realization hit and she couldn't help but smile._

 _The girl nodded shyly._

 _Melissa ignored Jules's glare and stepped forward. "Melissa Garden. I'm a junior. You?"_

 _"A sophomore. Like me. And we should all get to class." Jules cut in with an edge to her voice. She kept thinking that this couldn't be happening._

 _"Well that's a first coming from you," Melissa snickered, "and trust me Meghan, you don't want to thank her," Melissa's eyes were twinkling with amusement as she met Jules's seething glare, "after all, revenge is pleasure."_

 _Meghan, as expected, was extremely confused while Jules felt her heart plummet as desperation filled her eyes and she mouthed to Melissa. "You promised."_

 _Melissa pretended to zip her lips and walked away with a smile._

The memory hit her like a semi truck and hurt twice as much. Abruptly, she got up and grabbed the envelopes and letters and ran upstairs to stash them in a drawer. She couldn't do this now.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her lifeline. He answered, but she could hear the sleepiness in his voice.

"Hey, sweetheart."

"Sam, can I come over?" She glanced at the clock. 3 am. How long had she been reading those messages? She breathed in and out. "I know its late, but -"

"Hey, babe, its okay. My door's always open for you." He yawned. "Why are you so awake at- Jules! It's 3 in the morning! Are you ok?" All of a sudden, he was wide awake.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just can't sleep. I'll be there in 20."

"Okay I'll be waiting."

She hung up the phone and checked all her windows and locks. Wouldn't want another visit from the missing dead girl.

Especially one out for well deserved revenge.


	4. Chapter 4

**LL ppA/N: I don't own Flashpoint or its characters. Remember italics are either the girls' thoughts or a memory/flashback. I hope you enjoy. This will hopefully give you more insight about the girls. I apologize for taking so long to update but hopefully its worth the wait. Feedback, comments, and questions are greatly appreciated!**

 **Damien, 6 am**

Meghan twisted and turned in the bed. Yes _, the_ bed. This wasn't her home, wasn't her bed. This was her apartment cell in the government building. The place she was now forced to call home.

But even changing positions didn't stop the pounding in her head. She vaguely mused that it must be because of the jet lag from last night. But then the pounding got stronger and she realized it wasn't in her head. It was the door. She slowly pried open her eyes and blindly searched for her glasses on the night table.

"Coming!" She tore off the covers and slipped into slippers before dragging her feet to open the front door.

She swung open the door to find Oliver wide awake on the other side, a reprimanding look on his face. She sighed, it was too early to be dealing with him. Honestly, it was too early to be dealing with _anything_.

"Do you remember our agreement?" His tone was neutral, no nonsense.

She closed her eyes, because of course, how could she forget. In exchange for the jet ride to and from Toronto she had promised to do a thorough check of the department's computer system, which included cleaning out viruses and creating a stronger firewall, early the next morning. An unbreachable firewall. One that she _couldn't_ hack into.

She opened her eyes warily. "I need coffee. Want some?" At his frustrated expression, she explained. "I can't work without coffee in my system. So if you want me to start _now_ , I need caffeine." With that she turned on her heel.

What was supposed to be a smooth exit, ended up being a huge disaster. Her muddled brain didn't put one foot far enough from the other, so when she turned, they tangled and she would have crashed to the ground if Oliver hadn't caught her by the waist.

Her cheeks brightened and her breathing quickened and his arm slipped around her waist to steady her. "You okay?"

She nodded, slightly dazed, before quickly walking away. She mentally chastised herself for her clumsiness. She turned on the coffeemaker and placed a cup in and waited. Coffee always made everything better, even at an ungodly hour. The sweet smell reached her nose and she inhaled, already feeling more awake.

She turned to Oliver. The man was standing in front of the large window that overlooked the city. "What was so urgent yesterday that you had to go to Toronto immediately?"

The question caught her off guard. Because honestly, she didn't know. When Jules called, she heard the desperation and slight fear in her friend's voice, something inconceivable coming from the tough girl she had met and come to know all those years ago. But then she realized it was also because she herself was scared, terrified, by the message. It hit her to the core and she hoped Jules had an explanation.

But she didn't. Of course she didn't, it was too much to hope for. For years, Meghan had felt the odd sensation of being watched. A paranoia on the edges of her mind. And her gut keeps telling her that the message is somehow connected to that. But for the life of her, she can't fit the puzzle pieces together.

Realizing that she still hadn't answered his question, Meghan cleared her throat. "My friend called. She needed me."

She didn't lie. Technically, it was true. But she wouldn't elaborate. She couldn't and didn't trust him.

Oliver studied her closely, his dark blue eyes boring into her. She wasn't lying but she was hiding something. He let it go for now.

He nodded and turned to leave. "I'll be waiting for you in your office to provide you with the security codes. I expect you to be there in 20 minutes."

Meghan stared at the door as it shut behind him. "What just happened?" She whispered to herself.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her coffee, extracting it from the machine and taking a small sip. "Ahhhh."

She let her mind wander to last night's events. From the sounds of it, the four of them had received a message. But why and what did they mean? _That_ was the hundred dollar question.

But she was certain it was somehow Melissa's doing. How? No idea. She closed her eyes tightly. Thinking of Melissa always hurt, the betrayal and pain came back harshly, nipping at her insecurities.

 _"You're too skinny."_

 _Meghan turned to face the raven haired girl sitting on her bed._

 _"What?" Her voice was small, the words cut._

 _Melissa sighed. "I said you are too skinny. Like a bunch of bones. And you need to get rid of those glasses." She approached her and took off the glasses, leaving Meghan standing blindly in the center of her bedroom._

 _Meghan bit her lip, embarrassed and trying not to cry._

 _Melissa ran her hand through Meghan's brown locks. "But don't worry, I'll help you Megs." She walked to the other side of the room, where a desk stood at one corner and reached for her bag. She came back holding some contacts. "Here put these in."_

 _Meghan sat in front of her vanity and complied. She slipped in the painful disks, her eyes watering. "I can't do it."_

 _Melissa's dark eyes twinkled. "Do you want to be pretty?"_

 _Meghan nodded._

 _"Then put them in. Then you'll look beautiful."_

 _Meghan struggled, but finally got the contacts in. She let out a relieved breath. "There."_

 _Melissa grinned and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm gonna make you so beautiful."_

 _Meghan smiled. She believed every word she said, hungry for acceptance. Ever since she lost her brother all those months ago, she had felt alone._

 _But then Jules defended her that fateful day and she met Melissa, who welcomed her to their small group._

 _Meghan felt like she belonged, and she'd do anything to stay._

Coffee spilled onto the tiled floor as she placed the cup down with more force than necessary.

How could she have been so naive? So stupid and blind? The memory left a sour taste and she felt disoriented, as if she was back in that time, under the spell of Melissa Garden once again.

She shuddered and took off for the bathroom. A shower. She needed a long hot shower.

She tore off her clothes and burst into the shower. Angry tears spilled from her eyes and mixed with the hot water. The message made a lot more sense now. It was her fault Melissa was after them.

Because even though Melissa manipulated and betrayed her, it was _she_ who ultimately stabbed _her in_ the back.

*************************************  
 **O'Connor, 6 am**

 _In the cover of darkness, Sara slithered to her victim from behind, her feet making no sound. The man had no idea he was being followed. She took out her silver blade, her trusty weapon that eliminated targets in one swift move. With no hesitation, the assassin struck the person from behind, plunging the blade's fang through his heart. The moonlight shone on the blood as it burst from the crumpled body. She looked down, without remorse, without feeling. She used her foot to turn him over to see his face._

 _Mike's eyes opened and he whispered painfully. "Why did you this to me Sara?"_

Sara screamed. Cold sweat formed a thin mask on her pale face. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she looked around, getting comfort from her surroundings. _It was just a dream, a nightmare. It's not real_. She repeated these words like a mantra, slowly getting her heart rate back to normal.

This wasn't the first time she had this particular nightmare. It was after all, a memory of her last job. But this time something changed. She killed Mike, not a nameless person. _But Mike._

Still shaken from the nightmare, she stood dizzily and reached out to hold onto the wall. She closed and opened her eyes a couple times before taking slow steps towards her bathroom. Turning the knob, she splashed cold water on her face and looked at the mirror. Cold eyes stared back.

Taking a step back, she left the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen. She felt hungry and she needed a distraction. On autopilot, she prepared herself two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sat down to eat them.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. 6:10. She only got about an hour's sleep. The trip back from Toronto had been slow and it didn't help that she couldn't stop thinking about Jules's words. Was it possible that Melissa was back?

 _No, of course not. She's dead you idiot_. She shook her head angrily for even thinking of the contrary. It was impossible that Melissa had survived. She had seen the blood, felt it between her fingers.

But then where did the letter come from? Who had broken into her apartment without a single trace?

And then an odd thought entered her mind. She remembered Melissa loved to play games. To dress up and be something she wasn't. And she used to love that about her because back then Sara was a whole nother person.

 _"Hi, you must be the new girl." A slender girl with raven hair approached her, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the loud music._

 _Sara stopped dancing an eyed the masked figure dressed up like a witch. "Yeah, Sara O'Connor. And you are?"_

 _Her black colored lips turned up at the edges. "Melissa Garden."_

 _Realization hit Sara. This was the most popular girl at Riverside High. The queen bee. But where were her three best friends? She smirked and teased. "And why are you interested in talking with me your majesty?"_

 _Melissa laughed. "I like to get to know who comes and goes. But I see you've already made friends."_

 _Sara turned to see who she was talking about. She smiled when she saw Mike making his way through the dancing crowd toward her, two cups in his hands. "Yeah, he's gorgeous isn't he?"_

 _"Yes he is. An interesting choice too."_

 _Sara quirked an eyebrow, wondering what she meant by that. But she held her tongue when she felt a cup in her hand and Mike's hand wrapping around her waist._

 _"Am I interrupting ladies?"_

 _Melissa grinned cheerfully. "Not at all. I'll see you tomorrow at school Sara. I'll introduce you to my friends. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful addition."_

 _At the time Sara didn't know what those words meant, because if she had, she never would have agreed._

Sara was jarred from the memory by the shrill sound of her cellphone. She glared at the offending object and pressed ignore.

That day had changed everything. Sara knew she was poisonous from the beginning. But from then on, Melissa made her feel like she could share it with the world. So she did. And she poisoned the man she loved the most, and unbeknownst Jules, she poisoned her too.

*************************************  
 **Lance, 6 am**

Gentle music filtered into her sleepy brain, and Laura tried to lift her hand to silence her alarm. Her arm didn't budge. She opened her eyes, blinking away the sleep. She tried moving her hand again, but it just lay limply at her side. She began to panic.

She screamed but no sound escaped her mouth. She tried thrashing but her body didn't cooperate. _What's going on? Am I dead?_

Icy claws of fear raked her body and she felt tears on her cheeks _. Sleep paralysis_. Her mind supplied. It was sleep paralysis.

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she realized she could move since her body was now violently shaking. She wiped her tears and brought her knees up and pressed them against her chest.

What the hell just happened? She'd read of this before and heard the stories but she never, ever thought it was real. Until now.

She took calming breaths and just sat there for a while as the adrenaline wore off. Her mind started wandering, returning to last night. Was it possible that the bitch wasn't dead? She sure hoped not. Because if she was, then her life was over.

 _"Hey Laura!"_

 _Laura smiled as she stuffed some notebooks into her locker. "Hey Mel, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"_

 _"I should ask you the same question."_

 _Laura shrugged. "I decided to skip gym. Took me forever to curl my hair this morning."_

 _Mel grinned surreptitiously. "Oh really? So it doesn't have to do anything with a certain teacher's planning period?"_

 _Laura's eyes widened and she looked to her friend. "How...What are you talking about?"_

 _Mel smiled. A smile that made Laura's insides twist. "The English teacher Laura? Really?" She laughed softly. "He's married."_

 _Laura felt her heart stop beating. How did she find out? Does anybody else know? Would she tell?_

 _Laura looked straight into her friend's eye desperately. "Promise you wont tell. Promise."_

 _Mel smirked. "Don't you know two can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead?"_

And know Mel was. Or was she? _No! She had to be_.

Laura had worked so hard to get to where she was and a stupid mistake in high school wasn't going to stop her.

She got up and began getting ready for the day, pushing all the memories back inside, locking them away.

She was almost out the door when something on her kitchen counter caught her eye. She walked over and lifted the black envelope.

What the hell? Another one?

She opened it and looked at the single note lying inside. Her heart stopped.

 _"What's with you girls sleeping with men you're not supposed to? Naughty, naughty."_

She turned the note and saw a picture. She froze.

It was a picture of her and Mr. Alec kissing.


End file.
